Man Damages Hospital Property After Not Receiving Medication

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Created 11/30/2011 - 18:58

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By CHRISTOPHER ROY

Express Staff Writer
NEWPORT CITY – Orleans County Judge Robert Bent handed down a one to two month suspended sentence to a Newport City man on Tuesday. Jessie Nichols, 50, entered a guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.
On Aug. 8, 2011, staff from North Country Hospital called Newport City Police to deal with an unruly patient. On the way to the hospital, Officer Aaron Lefebvre learned that the patient, Nichols, caused damage to a door and an adjacent wall while exiting the facility and was leaving the property on foot. Lefebvre found Nichols by the Newport Ambulance Service building on Union Street.
According to the affidavit, when Lefebvre exited the cruiser Nichols yelled. He told Lefebvre to leave him alone and kept walking. Lefebvre returned to the cruiser, proceeded towards Nichols, and ordered him to stop to talk about what had happened. At first Nichols did not comply, but then turned around and said that he didn’t do anything. Lefebvre said that Nichols clenched his fists and lowered his body for stability.
Concerned for his safety, Lefebvre said he drew his taser at a low ready position, ordered Nichols to cooperate, and explain what had happened at the hospital. Nichols claimed hospital staff would not alleviate his high level of pain with medication. Nichols said that hospital staff should be required to prescribe him something. According to court records, upon Lefebvre’s request, Newport City Police Officer Corey Marcoux responded to the scene. After several minutes, Nichols began to cooperate and his aggressive behavior diminished.
After speaking with Nichols police went to North Country Hospital and spoke to a nurse who provided an account of what happened. The nurse said that Nichols went to the hospital reporting he had severe pain in his legs. After the doctor told Nichols that he would not give him medication Nichols became belligerent and started to yell obscenities at the nurse and other staff members, court records state. The nurse said that Nichols forcefully exited through the east entrance causing damage to the adjacent wall. According to the affidavit the nurse said the outburst caused an inconvenience to other patients.